The Amendment Process - Reading
Goals & Objectives
Students will learn how congress is organized and how that bills are passed in congress.
Students will learn and demonstrate knowledge of how the Constitution is amended and be able to describe at least 10 important amendments via a foldable.
California State Content Standards
12.4.2 Explain the process through which the Constitution can be amended.
Common Core Literacy Standards
CCSS_H/SS_R Grade 11-12
2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
Driving Historical Question
How do laws get created and enforced in the USA?
Lesson Introduction (Anticipatory Set/Hook/Accessing Prior Knowledge) ‖ Time: 10 minutes
The teacher will inform students that they are participating in a “challenge” to begin class. The teacher will explain that the students are to take out a sheet of paper on which they will write their responses. The teacher will give the students 5 minutes (timed) to write down as many amendments as they can recall, complete with definitions/explanation. The teacher will inform the class that the student who gets the most correct amendments listed will receive an incentive. The students will begin.
At the end of 5 minutes, the teacher will show a comprehensive list of possible amendments on a projector screen, which the students will use to self-grade. The student with the highest score will be determined by the teacher asking students to raise their hands if they got “X” number right, until the highest number is reached with only one remaining student still in contention. This student will win the incentive.
Narrowing the playing field for this activity gives the teacher a quick, informal view of preexisting student knowledge on this topic.
Vocabulary (Content Language Development) ‖ Time: Throughout lesson
The vocabulary for this lesson will mainly consist of the actual 27 amendments. However, in addition to this, students are to be familiar with the formal amendment process, which includes the following terms:
1. Four methods of formal amendment process (list/describe)
2. Bill of Rights
Students will become acquainted with this vocabulary through their reading/student engagement assignment, which will require them to summarize these terms, in addition to selecting 10 of the 27 amendments to describe.
Content Delivery (Method of Instruction) ‖ Time: 20 mins
The teacher will assist students in forming groups of 4. Next, the teacher will instruct the students to open their texts to Ch. 3, section 2 of their American Government text (Macgruder’s) entitles “Formal Amendment”. The teacher will request that students follow along as he or she points out headings and subheadings across the 5-6 pages in the section, in addition to the bolded vocabulary terms. The teacher will read the first section (section overview) to model and introduce the material included in the section.
Next, the teacher will instruct the students decide which student in the group will be responsible for which of the four methods of the formal amendment process. Each student will pick one of the methods (one method per student) and will be responsible for reading about that method in the text (using the previously identified subheadings to locate their sections) and explaining it to the group (jigsaw style). Students will use a foldable (folded into quadrants) and fill in each section of the foldable to match each of the four formal amendment processes based on their reading/discussion.
The class will come together as the teacher leads a short discussion to address each of the four amendment processes based on the reading/jigsaw.
Student Engagement (Critical Thinking & Student Activities) ‖ Time: 20 mins
Next, students independently will read the section entitled “Bill of Rights”, followed by a chart located in the text. This chart will be a comprehensive list of amendments. Using a foldable of a different color than the previous activity, students will create their own “Bill of Rights”. This foldable should have 5 sections per side, and students will fill in both the front and back to create a total of 10 amendments.
Students will select 10 amendments from the list individually, based on which ones they personally favor. Students will list and describe these amendments on their foldable in detail, including how long the amendment took to get ratified and when it became a formal amendment (date).
Lesson Closure ‖ Time: 3 minutes
The teacher will instruct students will turn to a partner for a 3-2-1 activity. Students will take turns sharing 3 amendments they already knew, 2 amendments they learned, and 1 way the Constitution can be formally amended. Students will hand in their foldables at the end of class.
Assessments (Formative & Summative)
Formative: Teacher will informally progress-monitor students throughout the lesson via class discussions that address the material to be read followed by class discussions that go over the material to be read. These methods are pre-reading and post-reading discussions, which will inform the teacher of student comprehension of material.
Summative: The teacher will collect and grade the foldables to ensure they are complete and accurate. The teacher will use these to inform future instruction and gauge student understanding.
Accommodations
ELLs: Pre-reading activity (introducing headings, sub-headings), jigsaw-style reading, foldable graphic organizers (visuals/organizational tools)
Striving Readers: Pre-reading activity (introducing headings, sub-headings), jigsaw-stlye reading, post-reading activity (class discussion)
Special Needs: Pre-Reading activity, foldable graphic organizers, opportunities to interact with other students, more time to complete foldables if needed
Resources
Textbook:
Edwards III, George C., Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry. Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy. 13th, Advanced Placement Edition ed. New York: Pearson, 2008. Print.
“Foldables” colored paper (2 colors)
Projector
Comprehensive list of 27 amendments
Students will learn how congress is organized and how that bills are passed in congress.
Students will learn and demonstrate knowledge of how the Constitution is amended and be able to describe at least 10 important amendments via a foldable.
California State Content Standards
12.4.2 Explain the process through which the Constitution can be amended.
Common Core Literacy Standards
CCSS_H/SS_R Grade 11-12
2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
Driving Historical Question
How do laws get created and enforced in the USA?
Lesson Introduction (Anticipatory Set/Hook/Accessing Prior Knowledge) ‖ Time: 10 minutes
The teacher will inform students that they are participating in a “challenge” to begin class. The teacher will explain that the students are to take out a sheet of paper on which they will write their responses. The teacher will give the students 5 minutes (timed) to write down as many amendments as they can recall, complete with definitions/explanation. The teacher will inform the class that the student who gets the most correct amendments listed will receive an incentive. The students will begin.
At the end of 5 minutes, the teacher will show a comprehensive list of possible amendments on a projector screen, which the students will use to self-grade. The student with the highest score will be determined by the teacher asking students to raise their hands if they got “X” number right, until the highest number is reached with only one remaining student still in contention. This student will win the incentive.
Narrowing the playing field for this activity gives the teacher a quick, informal view of preexisting student knowledge on this topic.
Vocabulary (Content Language Development) ‖ Time: Throughout lesson
The vocabulary for this lesson will mainly consist of the actual 27 amendments. However, in addition to this, students are to be familiar with the formal amendment process, which includes the following terms:
1. Four methods of formal amendment process (list/describe)
2. Bill of Rights
Students will become acquainted with this vocabulary through their reading/student engagement assignment, which will require them to summarize these terms, in addition to selecting 10 of the 27 amendments to describe.
Content Delivery (Method of Instruction) ‖ Time: 20 mins
The teacher will assist students in forming groups of 4. Next, the teacher will instruct the students to open their texts to Ch. 3, section 2 of their American Government text (Macgruder’s) entitles “Formal Amendment”. The teacher will request that students follow along as he or she points out headings and subheadings across the 5-6 pages in the section, in addition to the bolded vocabulary terms. The teacher will read the first section (section overview) to model and introduce the material included in the section.
Next, the teacher will instruct the students decide which student in the group will be responsible for which of the four methods of the formal amendment process. Each student will pick one of the methods (one method per student) and will be responsible for reading about that method in the text (using the previously identified subheadings to locate their sections) and explaining it to the group (jigsaw style). Students will use a foldable (folded into quadrants) and fill in each section of the foldable to match each of the four formal amendment processes based on their reading/discussion.
The class will come together as the teacher leads a short discussion to address each of the four amendment processes based on the reading/jigsaw.
Student Engagement (Critical Thinking & Student Activities) ‖ Time: 20 mins
Next, students independently will read the section entitled “Bill of Rights”, followed by a chart located in the text. This chart will be a comprehensive list of amendments. Using a foldable of a different color than the previous activity, students will create their own “Bill of Rights”. This foldable should have 5 sections per side, and students will fill in both the front and back to create a total of 10 amendments.
Students will select 10 amendments from the list individually, based on which ones they personally favor. Students will list and describe these amendments on their foldable in detail, including how long the amendment took to get ratified and when it became a formal amendment (date).
Lesson Closure ‖ Time: 3 minutes
The teacher will instruct students will turn to a partner for a 3-2-1 activity. Students will take turns sharing 3 amendments they already knew, 2 amendments they learned, and 1 way the Constitution can be formally amended. Students will hand in their foldables at the end of class.
Assessments (Formative & Summative)
Formative: Teacher will informally progress-monitor students throughout the lesson via class discussions that address the material to be read followed by class discussions that go over the material to be read. These methods are pre-reading and post-reading discussions, which will inform the teacher of student comprehension of material.
Summative: The teacher will collect and grade the foldables to ensure they are complete and accurate. The teacher will use these to inform future instruction and gauge student understanding.
Accommodations
ELLs: Pre-reading activity (introducing headings, sub-headings), jigsaw-style reading, foldable graphic organizers (visuals/organizational tools)
Striving Readers: Pre-reading activity (introducing headings, sub-headings), jigsaw-stlye reading, post-reading activity (class discussion)
Special Needs: Pre-Reading activity, foldable graphic organizers, opportunities to interact with other students, more time to complete foldables if needed
Resources
Textbook:
Edwards III, George C., Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry. Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy. 13th, Advanced Placement Edition ed. New York: Pearson, 2008. Print.
“Foldables” colored paper (2 colors)
Projector
Comprehensive list of 27 amendments